Spring-hub for automobile-wheels.



G. MINAKBR.

SPRING HUB FOR AUTOMOBILE WHEELS.

APPLICATION rum) 16.26. 1910.

1,004,455, Patented Sept 26, 1911.

QMi/naken COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co wAsmuu-rou. n. c.

CHAPMAN MINAKER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

SPRING-HUB FOR AUTOMOBILE-WHEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

. l 1 Application filed August 25, 1910. Serial No. 578,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAPMAN MINAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring- Hubs forAutomobile-Wheels, of which the followin is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is an improved spring hub for a wheel such as anautomobile wheel and to adapt the hub for spring movement so as to causethe vehicle to ride easily and without jolting, and to also render theuse of a pneumatic tire on the wheel unnecessary,

the invention consisting in the construction,

combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described andclaimed.

, In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is partly an elevation andpartly a sectional View of a yielding or spring hub constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view ofthe same.

My improved yielding or spring hub comprises a pair of disks 1 forapplication to opposite sides of the spokes of a wheel, at the innerends of the said spokes, and a pair of hub members 2-3. Each disk 1 isprovided with a central circular opening 1 of suitable size, and eachdisk is also provided, on its outer side, with an inner concentricallylocated shoulder 5 which is provided with a concave groove 6 on itsinner surface. The hub member 2 is provided on its inner side at itscenter with a cylindrical shaft member, here shown as a boss 7 providedat its outer end with a reduced screw threaded extension 8. The said hubsection 2 is provided on its outer side with a centrally located shaftmember 9 which may in practice be bored to receive one end of an axleshaft or automobile driving shaft. A radially disposed web or arm 10projects from one side of and is here shown as formed integrally withthe boss 7 and the hub section 2 and extends into radial openings 11with which the disks 1 are provided. The said openings 11 areconsiderably wider than the said radial arm, web, or key 10, and theirdepth is such that a space is left between their inner endsand the outerside of the said web, arm or key so that provision 1s thus made forslight angular movement between the disks and the hub member 2 and alsofor radial movement between the said the shoulder 5 of the disk 1 whichis as sociated with the hub member 2 and the periphery of the said hubmember and the said locking annulus, and the said hub member and lockingannulus are provided with a peripheral concave groove 14 correspondingwith the groove 6 of the shoulder 5. A cushioning spring 15 which isannular in form is disposed between the periphery of the hub member 2and the inner surface of the annular shoulder 5 and is seated in thesaid grooves 611. The said cushioning spring is in the embodiment of theinvention here shown in the form of an annular flexible tube which maybe made of rubber or of any other suitable elastic material and isinflated with compressed air, the said tubular cushioning spring beinghere shown as provided with a valved feed tube 16 of ordinary form tofacilitate the inflation thereof. A gasket or washer 17 of suitablematerial is placed between the opposing surfaces of the hub member 2 andthe disk 1 in which said hub member is associated.

The hub member 3 bears against the shoulder formed at one end of theboss 7 by the threaded reduced portion 8 and also bears against the endof the web, arm or key 10 and is secured to the said web, arm or key bymeans of screws 18 which admit of the is disposed between the opposingshoulder- 6 and periphery of the hub member 3 and locking annulus 12. Agasket or washer 17, corresponding with the washer 17, is disposedbetween the opposing surfaces of the hub member 3 and the disk 1 withwhich it is associated.

A locking nut 20 is screwed on the threaded portion 8 of the shaftmember or axle member of the hub and bears against the hub member 3thereby coacting with the screws 18 to lock said hub member 3 to the hubmember 2.

The disk 1 with which the hub member 3 is associated is provided, atopposite sides of the Opening 11, with axle studs 21 on,

which are mounted rollers 22 which, in practice, are preferably made ofrawhide or of some other exceedingly durable ma terial which is yetflexible or yielding to a modified extent. These rollers form buffersand bear against opposite sides of the key 10 of the hub member 2 andprevent said hub member together with the hub member 3, which is securedthereto, from turning angularly with respect to the disk members 1 withwhich said hub members are associated, and since angular movementbetween the hub members and the disk members is thus prevented thepneumatic tubular cushioning springs are protected from, disintegratingstresses which would otherwise be occasioned. Hence the said pneumaticcushioning springs are rendered exceedingly durable. It will beunderstood that the connection between the hub members and the diskmembers effected by the radially disposed key with which one of the .1

cushioning spring imparting spring motion to the wheel, hence causing avehicle provided with wheels equipped with my im proved hubs to ridevery easily and smoothly and dispensing with the use of what I claim ispneumatic tires on the peripheries of the wheels.

I do not desire to limit myself to the of my invention as defined by theappended claim.

Having thus described my invention,

The herein described yieldable hub embodying a pair of spoke engagingdisks each having a central opening and also having a radial recesscommunicating with the central opening, a pair of hub members disposedon the outer sides of the spoke engaging disks, one of the hub membershaving a central portion extending through the opening of the spokeengaging disks and also having a radially disposed key extending intothe recess of the spoke engaging disks and further provided with areduced threaded portion which extends through the other hub member, thelast mentioned hub member bearing against the end of and being securedto the key of the other hub member, a nut on the reduced threadedportion of the first named hub member and bearing against the outside ofthe other hub member, cushioning rollers mounted on one of the hubengaging disks and bearing against opposite sides of the key andcushioning members between the spoke engaging disks and the hub member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHAPMAN MINAKER. Witnesses:

GEO. S. LIVINGSTON, M. K. REEDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

